When Fates Collide
by Ema Marsel
Summary: Harry has spent the last ten years away from the magical populace. He has kept a low profile and been selective with his relationships. That all comes crashing down when his worlds of past and present fall together threatening his future.
1. Chapter 1

"Merlin, just take me now."

Harry shuddered the moment his eyes made contact with luxury vehicle that was parked only a few yards away from the hospital's loading bay. This was Harry's primary exit due to the privacy it provided from the prying eyes of the non-magical populace that worked at the hospital, and it was the closest door leading to a usually empty parking lot. Harry tended to drive himself to work but that was contingent to his morning routines with Teddy-er-Ted. He preferred the non-magical ways of transportation especially when traveling with a minor prone to mischief, but if they were running late the ability to side-apparate was handy in a pinch. That morning had been one of those mornings. Ted had switched off his alarm clock and his back-up notification on his phone. So when Harry did wake up, he was already running forty-five minutes late and then there was the rousing of the sleepy ten year old. The boy could sleep most of the day if he was given the chance. Then there was the skirmishes with every morning routine. What clothes to wear, how he would wear his hair, and his preference to his morning meal. The boy was on a Vegan kick that Harry was hoping, wishing and almost contemplated banishing the phase away with magic. The last fight of the war was the daily 'lost shoes debate'. Harry had refrained for the most part of not using magic for daily tasks and to raise Teddy-er-Ted to be self-sufficient and not spoilt by the ease of magic. But Teddy-er-Ted had put a valiant force this morning so Harry accioed the missing garments, tapped the boy's feet and rolled his eyes at the boy's triumphant smirk as the shoes flew on to his feet and double knotted the laces. Harry took hold of the boy's hand and apparated in the alley located behind Teddy's private charter school. So with a firm hug, and a menacing glare Ted and Harry departed ways. One to spend his day with his teaches, peers and recess and the other off to a day of monotonous yet difficult tasks that revolved around caring for the sick and wounded.

Harry went straight to the hospital since it was the second Wednesday of the month, so he was on rotation to assist various wards. The tasks kept him busy throughout the morning and the war was quickly forgotten as Harry lost himself in his patients. He spent the down time between patients planning his afternoon. He was only scheduled for a half rotation which he planned months ago but the reason was lost in his mind. He chalked it up to spend with Teddy-er-Ted since it was a difficult time of the year, so he pieced together a few ideas such as picking up the boy from school, walking to his football practice and then grabbing some fish and chips on the way to a movie. There was a new spy film that Teddy-er-Ted was dying to see. He had been bringing it up in conversation since he saw the preview while at some birthday party. But the moment his eyes locked on the luxury vehicle that belonged to Narissa Malfoy, he knew his plans were no longer a possibility and the reason behind his half-shift came floating up from the depths of his subconscious. The car was to collect him from work, and transport him Grimmauld lace so he could accompany Narcissa to a black-tie gala benefiting one of the many private charities that was near and dear to one of the Royal family's heart. Harry never quite understood the difference between a private charitable cause and one that was public. He found them equally intolerable. But Harry couldn't remember which member of the royal family was which, so truly the difference mattered very little. He moved closer to the car, noticing the chauffeur, Lazlow Briggs, was catching up on his slumber. This made Harry wonder just how long he had been waiting to collect him from the hospital. The meddlesome Narcissa Malfoy and his placating secretary, Helena Torre. He filed away a chat he would be having with his Helena about divulging personal information to anyone even if he considered the person family. Harry roughly opened the back passenger door, knowing that Lazlow was a stickler with protocol and his passengers had to sit in the back. The jostling of the car from his added weight, and the slamming of his car door was enough to wake Lazlow from his afternoon siesta.

"Good afternoon, Mister Harry." Lazlow greeted while he discreetly covered his mouth to hide a yawn.

"I guess you could say that, Lazlow." Harry responded. His voice was sullen due to his afternoon plans being usurped. "Did Narcissa have that little faith in me that she sent you to retrieve me from work?" Harry locked his eyes with the driver in the rearview mirror. The chauffeur answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "That woman needs a grandchild." Harry remarked while he glanced at his reflection in the mirror and a smile grew across his face when he heard Lazlow snort.

"Not likely going to happen with Master Malfoy always mucking it up with Miss Astoria." Lazlow commented as he merged the car into the early afternoon traffic.

With Saint Anne's on the other side of town, Harry knew it was going to be a least a half hour to possibly an hour drive depending on traffic conditions, so he let his head fall back into the plush Italian leather of his seat. There was a time when the ostentatious wealth that came with the Malfoy's world caused him discomfort. A world of designer labels, hedge funds and staff once baffled Harry and it would cause him to shuffle from foot to foot as he did not belong. But with friendship, fate, and the longer he lingered, Harry came to terms with wealth and began to understand and see what a private car meant in this world. There were different meanings, to some such as Draco Malfoy, a private car had a practical yet snobby use. The Malfoy heir used a private car for transportation but also as a barrier to keep the muggles at bay. He explained to Harry and Astoria that he if associated with muggles that there was a risk of losing his magic. "Why take the risk, if their non-magic could be catching?". After he finished his asinine theory both Harry and Astoria forced him to a muggle dance club to test his theory. Draco did not think he was better than his peers. He believed he knew for a fact. Draco also used a private car for an amorous yet lewd use. A private car provided a comfy space that afforded the users privacy for a conversation, a meal or a passionate embrace. Draco would constantly frequent the private car during galas and charitable functions to pass the time with different celebutantes. He didn't have notches on his bed post. He had stitches in the fine leather upholstery.

He was a right tosser.

Narcissa's need or use of a private luxury car was another way to establish her social status in her new found world. Narcissa was born in a world where money was power. As a baby, she was clothed in the finest of fabrics and had the best toys. She was looked after by nannies and au-paires that hailed from around the continent. France, Croatia, Germany, Italy and her least favorite was Russia. Her parents never employed a Spaniard due to a sordid affair her father had years before her birth. As she grew, so did the understanding that social classes existed and she belonged to one of the richest and oldest. Her play group was filled with the children related to the one percent of the one percent. It was a tradition that started generations back, as a way to acclimate and build lasting relationships for the children and the future members that would run the world. Loyalty that sprouted from the time of nappies and sandboxes. Many believed that Lucius and Narcissa met while attending Hogwarts but the truth was Narcissa studied magic at Beauxbaton Academy. An honored tradition that was stipulated in the pre-nuptial agreement settled in the marriage contracts between her grandparents. The founder of the Academy could be traced in her patrilineal grandmother's bloodline and it was understood that at least one Crabbe- Black descendent would attend each generation. The rule grew lax as time passed, but Cygnus's mother Irma pushed that if there was a child that favored the Crabbe disposition, blonde hair, fair skin and high cheekbones that the child would summer in England with the family but would attend Beauxbaton for their magical tutelage. So the majority of her childhood, from the ages of eleven to seventeen, Narcissa spent most of the year in France with her paternal grandparents. This was a blessing due to the strained relationship between her parents but also because of the lack of stability of their oldest child, Bellatrix and her jealous tendencies. The nannies reported various bruises, scratches and strange incidents that occurred around Narcissa at a young age. Such as the nursery catching fire while Narcissa was napping, her pet bunnies and favorite horse turning up deceased due to unknown causes. The Academy during her tenure was also a finishing school, so alongside the practical arts of Transfiguration, Charms and Arithmancy, she learned how to set a table for thirty, the art of flower arrangements and the proper way to walk in various heights of heels. After finishing at the academy, with a score of perfect NEWTs, she met Lucius and the rest was history. This all boils down to Narcissa was conditioned to live a certain way her entire life. A life of luxury and social status, so when the Wizengamot conducted her trial and debated about her sentence, it was decided that she would pay a hefty fine, lessening her considerable wealth and stripping away her magic for a finite time. This would effectually force her to live as a muggle. The Ministry of Magic thought this would ruin the Malfoy Matriarch as they believed a muggle lifestyle would destroy Narcissa but she didn't have any issues with not having magic. She rarely used it, and it was Lucius that took offense to muggles. He was crazed about blood purity and thought his pureblood made him better. Narcissa just knew she was better than everyone. Humility was not a Malfoy trait. At most the only magic Narcissa used daily were simple spells for summoning items, magical brews and ways to travel. Without the floo network, flying or apparition she was limited but not without options and Narcissa Malfoy adapted by doing what was normal by buying things. Cars. She collected them with reckless abandon, not having much knowledge or brand loyalty. She went with the pureblood adage, 'The most expensive is the best." Her garages were filled with Mercedes, BMW, Range Rover, Aston Martin, Porsche and Bugatti. All of the vehicles had less than ten thousand miles, all with the recent technologies but Narcissa was just the ultimate consumer without preference. Even with her magic restored, Narcissa traveled like a muggle and whenever she needed to go somewhere, Narcissa deferred the vehicle choice to Lazlow. Narcissa loved and trusted the chauffeur because of his gentle soul, strong presence and protective nature. He was one of the few staff members that was not magical. Lazlow had a heavy foot and loved going fast.

Astoria Greengrass was another story. She had been an enigma to Draco when they first crossed paths. He was attracted and she wanted nothing to do with the Malfoy heir. She grew up a similar lifestyle as the Malfoy's, as her family was one of the Sacred Twenty Eight, but her father was a practical man with a realistic outlook on the world. He forsook his ancestral bloodlines when he would not bow before the Dark Lord, and he was cast out of the family. He was only reinstated after the death of both of his brothers, and his father did not have a male heir to carry on the family name. The relationship between father and son was tainted but the family name commanded respect and advancement in the world. Astoria had no qualms with private cars, and relished in the comfort of Italian leather feeling as it rubbed against the satin or silk fabrics of her ball gowns, but she preferred the means of magical transportation to a muggle car. She was perpetually running late, and being able to move across town, or to Diagon Alley in no time.

For Harry, his introduction to this world happened when Teddy-er-Ted was about to start primer school. He had been re-connected with the Malfoys and Narcissa had loaned him the use of her Range Rover when he had expressed his concern with the boy and his tendency to jerk away when they travelled by apparition or floo. Harry wouldn't even consider fly with the spastic toddler. He tried to decline the elaborate vehicle because it was large, boxy and ostentatious and the cost worried him. Also, he had little to no driving experience, so after being forced into the level of wealth, he had to sit through two sessions of driving instructions from Draco. They both were short and tense sessions where verbal threats to ending the Malfoy lineage followed the superior ribbing of the inadequacy of being the boy-who-lived. Then Draco riled Harry about what his back story was going to be when he was asked why a man of his age didn't have his driving certification. The pair schemed for a weekend perfecting for a thorough investigation by the Prime Minister's secret police. But he was terribly let down by an anticlimactic when he was told to take a number, fill out a form and then not smiling for a picture. He paid the registration fee and was told to expect to receive the certificate in the post. The picture still made everyone chuckle as if it was a rite of passage. Draco suggest to banish it, but muggle photography couldn't be altered. Something to do with the chemical process, oxidation and film. Then once he grew comfortable driving the Range Rover, it was if Teddy's needs for material items grew exponentially. Teddy was past the age of prams, the posh ones, but he stowed one for rugged terrain if the day called for lots of walking. There was also the extra sets of clothing for the many outfit changes for forgetfulness, sickness, messiness or temper tantrums. Teddy-er-Ted was prone to three for the four examples. Shoes were a given since the boy had a talent of losing one, typically the right show. There were totes, one for activities such as books, car games, and muggle-children electronics. Another tote was filled with snacks that ranged from healthy to pure sugar and juice boxes. Harry also carted a bike, helmet and a training broomstick that was locked in a magical compartment. Car seats, booster seats and pac-n-plays interchanged in the back hatch. The ease of this luxury car helped Harry feel comfortable in the world of wealth. That and his friendships with the Malfoy family. It took a bit for the familial relationship to develop and Harry's dislike for the Malfoy heir almost prevented the reconciliation.

Harry felt the car drift into the carpool lane, and he was momentarily jolted from his memories of the past.

"Lazlow, how long have you worked for the Malfoys?" He asked the stoic driver. Harry had known Draco for almost two decades. He hated the heir for practically half the time, but for the last five they grew to be like family. So much had happened between the four year gap. If it hadn't been the impetuous Albus Dumbledore, Harry was certain his and the Malfoy family's path would have never crossed. Harry wondered at times if it was his actions that kept the majority of the Malfoy family from serving time in Azkaban. But there needs to be some background before that can be explained.

 _Flashback_

 _It had been two quick but short months since the chaotic ending of the Second Wizarding War, and everyone was meeting for supper at the Burrow. Molly had sent a host of owls containing a proclamations so attendance was required. Molly was situated at the head of the table, the end closest to the kitchen with Fleur on her right with Bill by her side. The pair had entered the Burrow almost late to dinner in what seemed to be the middle of a heated discussion. Fleur was muttering in French and when she took a step away from Bill his hand reached quickly about her wrist. It stalled the fleeing blonde but her eyebrow arched and Bill released her hand. The air was still tense between the pair. On Molly's left sat Percy and his new girlfriend Audrey. That was Ginny's speculation because Percy introduced her as a friend and coworker. The petite brunette strayed from his side but they tended to remain in the same vicinity. Charlie was seated next to Audrey and the first to arrive due to the misprint on his invitation to dinner. Molly had altered the time by two hours so he showed up half an hour early. His hair was a mess but he was clean shaven. He spent thirty minutes in the garden banishing gnomes and cursing his mother to the high heavens. Across from Charlie and to the right of Bill sat George who was silent and morose. Most of the Weasley family was surprised to see him at the table due to his aloofness but everyone carried on as normal. As normal as possible with the family missing one of its most rambunctious members. The loss of Fred was noticed by everyone, but mostly to George and Arthur. George was the brains behind the pranks and the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes merchandise but it was Fred that was the gregarious of the twins. Fred was also the one Weasley child that shared a love for muggle artifacts. His father and Fred would waste hours in the garden shed charming and jinxing different muggle electronics to see what magic did to the appliances. Some might think that the Weasleys were family lucky to only suffer the loss of one child while other families lost branches or the entire tree, but the loss still stung. The other half of the table was Andromeda with baby Teddy on her lap. Harry sat next to her to assist with his godson and Ginny at the very end and to the left of Arthur. Across from Andromeda and next to Charlie was Hermione and Ron with an empty space on Arthur's right. The family just sat down and tucking in when the back door swung open by a soggy Kingsley Shacklebolt. The weather had been in a constant downpour so no one batted an eyelash to the late interim Minister of Magic with water dripping from his traveling cloak and mud tracked up to his knees._

 _"_ _Good evening Weasleys." His deep voice bellowed his greeting while he disrobed. A few members responded out of courtesy but most of the family was mid-bite. The family had pushed the dinner to accommodate the Minister of Magic's schedule. "Sorry for the lateness. The Gamot ran over." Kingsley explained as he took his seat at the table. He started to load his plate._

 _"_ _Was it a productive meeting?" Arthur asked his current boss. Kingsley grunted._

 _"_ _The group has finally agreed to try the cases for the second wizarding war." Kingsley replied and Arthur paled at the mention of the war and sent a cautious glance in George's direction. The lone twin was busy pushing food about his plate. George was aimless and had no direction. As if the loss of Fred was the loss of a loadstone and George could no longer find north._

 _"_ _That's good news to hear." Arthur commented. "I mean I figured they would since the conducted the last Trials." Kingsley nodded._

 _"_ _It was quite a debate. The Gamot wants the Trials to be better this time-"_

 _"_ _Zis time?" Fleur asked as the conversation about the Trials were more interesting to the constant nattering of Molly Weasley pushing for a grandchild._

 _"_ _Yes, Mrs. Weasley." Kingsley answered and winked in Fleur's directions to indicate that he was joking. "The last Trials were before my tenure but it was a dark time for the Gamot and the Ministry." A dark time is an understatement for the corruption that ran deeply in the Wizengamot and Ministry during the first Wizarding War Trials. The trials were to deliver justice and bring peace to the victims. But in reality, the Trials turned into a witch-hunt with side deals, brokered for information and names. Testimonies were fabricated and sentences were purchased. Many of the guilty were able to skate the trials. The Gamot was contaminated by the reaches of the Dark Lord. "So we want to tread carefully and not rush the process." Kinsgley explained while dicing up another bite of chicken._

 _"_ _How soon do you think the first trial will be?" Bill asked focusing his attention to the interim Minister of Magic. Bill had eaten before the family dinner of steak cooked as rare as possible._

 _Kingsley shrugged. "Hard to say. The Gamot will likely try most of the lesser crimes quickly and in about three weeks-_

 _"_ _Bloody hell." Ron interrupted with a mouth filled with potatoes. Kingsley eyes shifted to the youngest Weasley son. "I mean it has been a long time since the end." Ron started to explain his outburst and blushed as he received an admonishing look from his parents and stuck up siblings. Hermione had pinched his hand beneath the table. Before the minister could respond, Hermione pipped up with an answer._

 _"_ _Three weeks is quite fast for the Wizengamot. It takes quite a bit before the group can meet for a trial." Ron rolled his eyes while Hermione continued. "Before a trial can be called, it takes a majority of the members to meet to even conduct a session. Then they have to put it to a vote to try a case which takes a two-thirds majority of the whole Wizengamot. And in the end, they have to debate and discuss the situation until they all agree that it is beyond a reasonable doubt before they will deliver a sentence." Hermione rattled off as if she was reading from her magical history text in Professor Binns' classroom._

 _"_ _How in the bloody hell do you function?" Ron whispered but tried to smirk it off as a joke. Hermione flushed at his callous remark and back handed humor._

 _"_ _Hermione is right on the sickle with the ways and means of the Wizengamot. But getting the votes has been easier with the numbers of the group greatly diminished as of late." Kingsley interrupted the quick spat brewing between Ron and Hermione._

 _"_ _Is it not true that a case took almost twenty years to resolve?" Audrey asked and all eyes fell onto the new comer of the Weasley dinner table. "I just recall from History-"_

 _"_ _You are quite right." Kingsley answered._

 _"_ _Merlin's balls."_

 _"_ _Ronald Weasley, I will curse your mouth full of soap!" Molly swore at her youngest son. The table chuckled at the image._

 _"_ _Yes, Miss Audrey. Again this was before my time with the Gamot." Kingsley continued._

 _"_ _Why did it take so long, Kingsley?" Ginny asked._

 _"_ _Evidence was destroyed. Witnesses went missing or recanted their testimonies. It only ended when the convicted dropped dead in a duel he instigated. At that point the Wizengamot voted him guilty for wasting their time." Kingsley sent a sly smile to Ginny who giggled at the minister's dramatics._

 _"_ _So three weeks?" Arthur asked. "Will that be enough time to summon the group together and investigate the convicted?" Arthur lived through the aftermath of the First Wizarding War. It was a troubling time for the Wizarding community as a whole, families were regrouping, the ministry was piecing itself back together and there were suspicious dealings behind every door. Arthur was a junior member in his department and had just become a father for the third time. Bill recalled the time because his parents restricted his use to the Daily Prophet. They poured over the pages wanting to shield his curious eyes from the dark dealings of the time. There wasn't much to gather from the sporting sections and the articles about quidditch but Arthur and Molly wanted to be cautious._

 __ _Kingsley shrugged, "They don't have much of a choice. The numbers of the Gamot has diminished greatly with this last war. It's like Voldemort stuck the members as a contingency for if his agenda failed."_

 _"_ _Amelia Bones." Murmured Molly._

 _"_ _Grant Hughes." Charlie whispered._

 _"_ _Albus Dumbledore." Percy offered were some of the names supplied by the people surrounding the table. Everyone sat in silence reflecting on the loss not only to the Wizengamot but to the magical community._

 _"_ _Quite right. This brings me to another agenda item that caused the meeting to last so long. A name was put to the Ledger. We had to vote on the initiation process." Kingsley pressed on._

 _"_ _A Ledger-Name post. That is a great honor." Molly remarked. Kingsley nodded._

 _"_ _A Ledger-Name, I don't think a Ledger-Post has happened in almost fifty years." Arthur questioned._

 _"_ _Not in my lifetime-"Kingsley began._

 _"_ _But 'ow iz zat possible. Monsiuer Kingsley is not zat old." Fleur interrupted. The Weasley family chuckled at French infused accent. "Vat!" She demanded but rolled her eyes when she realized they were laughing at her. The Weasleys, although accepting, could be quite ignorant towards non-blood related family member feelings. It caused her annoyance and angered when they laughed at her lack of English vocabulary and thick accent. English was not even her second language._ _She felt her husband place his hand just above her knew and squeezed softly, offering reassurance through his silent actions. It was Kingsley to come to her aid and answer her questions._

 _"_ _That's ever so nice of you to think I am that young. No, it is often that anyone named head of a ministry department or the Minister of Magic gets a seat on the 'Gamot. I earned my position almost ten years ago when I took the Head Auror post. A seat on the Wizengamot is for life, so you can imagine how hard it is to convene a meeting, let alone put anything to a vote." Kingsley explained and grabbed a roll from the table._

 _"_ _So den vat iz dis Ledger post name?" Fleur pushed on and it was Hermione to answer the question. It was if she was back in the classroom and her hand shot up to be called on which brought another burst of laughter to the table._

 _Hermione rolled with the embarrassment and started to answer, "The Ledger-Post process is the common name for Le'Response-Je Dwardin. It is a process of appointing a civilian to the Wizengamot without having a government affiliation or being an Elder in the community. It was first used in the fourteenth century when Claus Je'Dwardin was nominated to the post for his acts of bravery and his contributions to the wizarding community. He was voted on by a two part process. It starts with the name being supplied by an Elder or someone in the position of Fourth Warlock or above. Then the name must be accepted by a member of the chancellor group. Once that is complete the group must vote on the submission. It takes ten 'yay' votes for the name to stick." Hermione spouted off the history and process of the Wizengamot. Harry beamed at his friend's mind but it was Ron's big mouth to ruin the moment._

 _"_ _I swear you are a walking encyclopedia. Good thing you are cute." Ron winked but his comment forced Hermione to flush and turn away. Before Harry could rush to his friend's aid Ron jumped from his seat only to fall back down when his knees collided with the thick wood surface of the table._

 _"_ _Bollocks Gin, what was that for?" He yelled furiously while rubbing his shin._

 _"_ _For you being a prat." She smirked and glowed when Harry pressed his lips to her cheek. Hermione sent her a grateful smile. Many of the Weasley's sons gagged as the public display of affection between the couple._

 _Ron pressed on, "So it takes two people to nominate someone to the Gamot. I don't see how there aren't any more Post-Ledger names." Hermione rolled her eyes._

 _"_ _Ledger-Post." She corrected, "The person has to contribute to magical achievement or perform exemplary acts for society to be considered." Ron rolled his eyes at the haughtiness of Hermione's voice._

 _"_ _I dunno, a faster broomstick or a quidditch WMVP could be sizable contribution-"_

 _"_ _Are you mental?" Hermione scoffed._

 _"_ _No." Ron retaliated and flushed at the accusation._

 _"_ _You want a bunch of jocked up dunder-heads to govern and make laws?"_

 _"_ _You know that I did not mean that. And I was just saying-"Ron began to return her snap but was interrupted by a new voice._

 _"_ _Bloody hell do either of you ever shut up?" George asked slamming down his goblet to the table. He had been drinking the last bits of his punch and he snapped to the present from the verbal sparring. His glare quickly dissipated to the vacant look and Arthur kicked Ron in the other shin to stop his cutting retort._

 _"_ _You are quite right, George." Arthur said and turned his attention back to Kingsley. "Why put the name to the Ledger now?" He asked. Kingsley let his hand waffle in the air._

 _"_ _This time is as good as any and we need more forward thinking members. Plus, I want to get the Trials over as quickly as possible or at least well on their way before I hand the Ministry of Magic to the next schmuck." Percy perked at the mention of the ministry._

 _"_ _Is it possible that you could just stay on?" He asked and Kingsley shook his head._

 _"_ _I'm not the man for the job. I don't have the stomach for politics and I want to return to the Auror department. We need to wipe out any of the remaining supporters of the dark lord."_

 _"_ _So then, who this honored individual?" Molly asked looking down at the Minister of Magic's plate. She wanted to start passing the dessert but didn't want the rush the ministry official. Teddy began to coo, and Harry turned to smile at the baby, but was distracted when the entire table went silent. He glanced about the table noticing the entire table._

 _"_ _Of course it would be Harry."_

 _***888***_

 _An end of flash back. Look who is back. I have been struggling with this story. It has been bouncing about my head for the past few months/years and has gone through multiple revisions. This will be similar to Forgotten Bonds, but a bit different. There will be flashbacks in the past to support the present day story line. The past will show in italics, and present day will be plain._

 _Reviews are read and appreciated, but I don't beta my stories. My process is to write the chapter on paper, then transpose it to a Word document via my IPad or computer, and let Microsoft office go through the grammatical and spelling. I truly don't have the time in the day to be bothered by the semantics of grammar. That is atrocious of me, but I try my best. Also, I have only visited the United Kingdom twice in my life, and it has been nearly ten years since I last been, so a few of the names of places and places of things may not exist. Please forgive the spacing. I don't know what happened. Again this is fiction, and I hope you can enjoy!_

 _Thanks for reading and welcome back to my creative mind._

 _I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING,_

 _Ema  
_


	2. Chapter 2

Flashback-

 _"Of course it would be Harry."_

 _Harry nearly missed the scathing tone of Ron's passable sarcastic remark, not because he was attuned to the youngest Weasley son's voice but because of the faint buzzing that filled his ears. The noise was just a precursor; a telltale sign of a panic attack that was debilitating and cumbersome to the Boy-Who-Lived. The attacks ranged from light to severe, all depending on a variation of symptoms. The symptoms that impacted Harry the most was the faint buzzing in his ears that sounded like he was caught in a tunnel of static. There was an overwhelming feeling of nausea due to an acute surge of vertigo, and at time's Harry's left side would weaken as if his muscles turned to gelatin. The worst and most occurring symptom was when his vision blurred and his eyesight became hazy and untrained. This caused faces to blur, shapes to muddle and colors to diminish and for a guy with barely passable eyesight, one could imagine the shock delivered to Harry as he suffered his first attack. The first episode occurred during a shopping trip to Diagon Alley. It had been a few weeks after the end of the war, but he was overwhelmed by the wizarding society and his vision began to blur, there was tightening in his chest and his heart beat was erratic. The episode was swift but frightening, causing attention to be drawn and an emergency healer was called to the quidditch shop. The magical charms revealed that he was perfectly healthy, and was dismissed with a calming draught. Harry was referred to the Head Healer of St. Mungos that put Harry through a series of tests. It was thorough and intensive, and the tests precluded that he was young, healthy enough but he could use a bit more fiber in his diet. There were no lingering magical maladies from the War's End. He was then referred to a muggle specialist, a psychologist that specialized in childhood trauma. Harry met with the doctor for one hour. It was awkward and Harry got the impression that the specialist wanted to laugh him from the room. His story of villains, celebrity and dying. How a man tried to murder him as a toddler and then tried to repeat the act nearly every year since he was eleven. Harry obliviated the man before he left his office and he resolved that he needed to figure his own issues. So as his eyes rounded the table he worked his self-proscribed steps to counteract the symptoms of his anxiety by focusing and remaining present, blinking to cause his pupils to retrain themselves and forced himself to take in a breath, hold for five seconds and then exhale. So, as his eyes circulated the table once more, he forced his eyes directly to Kingsley Shacklebolt. The acting Minister of Magic was extending his hand with a roll of parchment held in his fist. It was the official correspondence of the Wizengamot, tied with the purple ribbon and sealed with gold wax. The indentation was the seal of the ancient order of a scale with one side holding a magic wand while the other held a caldron. The essence of magic and justice. Harry's eyes travelled from the scroll to the eyes of Kingsley and the Minister of Magic began to speak._

 _"Harry James Potter, son of the late James and Lillian Potter, Godfather of Edward Remus Lupin and the current Lord of the exalted and ancestral Family Black. I, Kinglsey Shacklebolt, Head Auror, Minister of Magic Protem and the Fourth Warlock of the Wizengamot Order, a here to bestow the honor of a Ledger-Post position. The Order acknowledges the sacrifices and contributions you have made and done for the wizarding society and world." Kingsley smiled at the young man who seemed to be marveling at the appointment. "If you wish to accept his position, please respond to the instructions inside." He offered the scroll out closer to Harry._

 _Harry wrapped his fingers about the scroll, his movements seemed hesitant but he forced his hand to wrap about the scroll. In an instant, there was a flick and flourish of Kingsley's wand arm and a gold spark emitted from his wand's tip. It floated down and landed on the inside of Harry's right wrist. Harry remained stoic, but his shot a questioning glance to the acting Minister of Magic._

 _Kingsley chuckled, "Just following protocol." He explained._

 _Harry retracted his arm, noticing a faint glow on the inside of his wrist but he gave little thought when all eyes were upon him. Watching to see his reaction or to see what would happen next. He gazed down at the parchment, feeling somewhat nostalgia to the time Hagrid delivered his first Hogwarts's letter. It had been the letter that changed his life and his first birthday cake. He remembered the curiosity when opening his first letter, and now he was riddled with hesitancy as his fingers licked the gold wax._

 _"I wonder what's inside" Ginny murmured to his ear and startled Harry from his trance. He had been so invested in his thought he had not felt her press into his side and her arm snake around his back. He was interested to see the contents within but he did not want this to be a spectacle moment in his life. He did not live for the pomp or circumstance and he was sick of fanfare. So, his reaction was not expected. Harry tossed the scroll into the air and banished the invitation from the Burrow with a flick of his wand._

 _There was a moment of stunned silences, where Ron's mouth dropped opened, Percy choked on his lemonade and Fleur smirked at his antics. Hermione was the first to speak, muttering a soft, "Harry." His name was timid on her tongue as if she was testing it to take his temper. He sent her a sharp look that stilled any further words to be swallowed._

 _"Thank you, Kingsley." Harry said glancing back to the interim Minister of Magic. "I will mull it over and get back to you." The Minister of Magic regarded Harry with a critical eye, and for a moment wondered if this was the right choice, but he did enjoy that the young man had spirit. It reminded him of the Order during the first wizarding war. A time long forgotten with the passage of time and the loss of comrades. His memories were shortly lived before they were interrupted by a shrill noise at the other end of the table._

 _"Harry James Potter." Molly Weasley seethed. "How dare you disrespect the Minister of Magic in my house and show such blatant rudeness at my dinner table. What do you have to say for yourself?" It was a hypothetical question and everyone around the table know that the best answer would be no answer. Better yet, to grovel and admit your wrong doing, but Harry was not in the mood to play the pandering orphan in desperate desire for a mother's love. Her approval could hang for all he cared and so could her overwhelming need to parent in this moment. He was at his wit's end of being smothered by her antics and coddled by her condescending tones. Harry felt a slight pressure on his knew, of Ginny's hand squeezing a warning but it went unnoticed._

 _"I simply stated that I would think it over." Harry responded and he watched as the Weasley marm's nose flare at his response. She chocked down the gulp of lemonade before slamming the glass to the table._

 _"I'm sorry, Minister." She said to Kingsley and completely ignoring Harry's lip. "Harry would gladly accept the post on the Wizen-"_

 _"Excuse me, Mrs. Weasley!" Harry interrupted with an incredulous tone. "I said I would think about the offer." His town was less than to be desires in Molly's ears._

 _"What could you possibly need to think about?" She asked and the snide tone was not missed by any sitting at the table. Ron rocked back in his seat, his eyes darting between his mother and best mate. The tops of his ears were pink. Arthur swallowed but remained at his end of the table watching the dialogue between the pair. Fleur wanted to step in but the hand of her husband quelled the desire._

 _Harry was thrown by her tone but continued by answering, "I want to research the position. To see what it entails and how much I will be required to devote to the Gamot." He tried to school his voice keeping his tone impassive. To not let her know the effects of her questions and tones._

 _"Harry Potter, this post is a great honor. You get a paid position on a prestigious Order that governs the wizarding community. You should feel grateful for the offer and that you will be a contributing member of society-"She explained as if she was talking to a child._

 _"I thought I already did-"Harry quipped to his plate and interrupted her speech._

 _"What was that, young man?" Molly snapped at her end of the table. "I didn't hear was you said to your plate!"_

 _"I said that I already contributed to the wizarding world without being part of some prestigious Order." Harry repeated, kicking himself when he saw the triumphant look crossed her face. It was as if she knew she was winning the verbal match. It was immature and petty, but no one had the audacity to say that to Molly Weasley's face._

 _"I have responsibilities." Harry responded but Molly let out a loud scoff._

 _"Responsibilities." She said, "What kind of responsibilities would a boy of eighteen have. The most you have to worry about is if you plan to return to Hogwarts for your last year. So please, enlighten me what responsibilities you have?"_

 _Harry looked around the table for a bit of support. The actions and words of Molly Weasley were misguided and Harry knew it was out of love she was behaving in this manner. He would forgive her in time, but this attack was the last thing he needed to add to his shoulders. His eyes trailed along the faces of the Weasley Children, most looking at their plates, hands or food. Harry glanced to Hermione for help or a bit of support but her own gaze was directed to her lap. It was at that moment when the seedling of betrayal was planted. A seed that would sprout into doubt, flourish into abandonment. It was the beginning of the end_

 _Harry swallowed the brittle response. He knew he should put an end to the heated exchange and that with each passage of words that it was only letting a wound fest with pain. "There's Teddy." Harry answered after a bit of time. Molly's eyes retrained on the Boy-Who-Lived as if she mistook the lull in the conversation as an end to the topic. She glanced at the child in question that was seated in the security of Andromeda Tonk's lap. The baby was recumbent and his eyelids were heavy with sleep. Harry chuckled at the flare of the babe's metmorphagus anomalies peaked when the baby was angry or tired. The tips of his hair had a tinge of red from all the surrounding gingers._

 _"Oh please. You are not his guardian. You are a Godfather to the boy. I'm sure Remus and Nymphadora Lupin only expected you to buy a present on his birthday and Christmas." Molly surmised and Harry could feel the blood in his veins boil at the accusation._

 _"I'm sure they didn't expect to die either." Harry muttered darkly and Molly's face glazed with a faraway look. But she snapped back to the present and her vision honed in on the orphan at the end of the table. It was if she could taste the blood in the water and she was going in for the kill._

 _"A lot of people didn't expect to die." Her words were as sharp as a shark's tooth and full of deep meaning. Harry understood the context of her comment. He had a suspicion that the people in his immediate circle blamed him for the death of their loved ones. If their proximity to the Boy-Who-Lived had painted a target on their backs, and he caused their death. It was explained to him, by one of the host of healers, that the feel was survivor's guilt. That he felt guilty that others died and Harry remained alive. He had suffered loss, but he felt responsible for all of the lives lost during the last two wars against Lord Voldemort and his minions. He did not deliver the death curses but because of his cause they supported, they suffered the consequences. His mind raced with the ever overwhelming thoughts of what-if. What if he had defeated the Dark Lord faster? What if he had been quicker to pick up on the trail of Horcrux quicker and solved their mystery. What if he had mastered the arts of Occumulancy? Then possibly he could have spared the lives of the innocent. Remus and Tonks. Fred. Sirius. His parents._

 _"You don't think I know this?" Harry muttered darkly. His emotions be damned. "I know the consequences of my actions-"_

 _"Or lack thereof." Molly interrupted but she said her comment to her cup._

 _Harry shook his head._

 _"I apologized Mrs. Weasley." Harry said, "I regret all the lives that were lost due to their connection to me. I live with that guilt every moment of the day. I do not need you throwing it in my face." He snapped and he opened his mouth to queue yet another onslaught of words but he was cut to the quick by Hermione's voice._

 _"Harry!" She shouted and Harry shook his head, not to silence her interruption but return to the moment. He was standing with his wand at the ready and clutched tightly in his fist. There were red sparks emitting from the end. He sent a startled glance about the table. Bill had positioned himself so he was squared off toe Harry with Fleur tucked safely behind his back. Percy was in a defensive stance, ready to parry any attack from Harry and protect his mother. Ron was enraged with a blush creeping up his ears and disappearing into his hair line, and Charlie was relaxed in his chair surveying the situation. His eyes danced from his mother, Harry and his father. If he was a betting wizard, he had no idea who he would back._

 _"I apologize." Harry added meekly and sunk into his seat, embarrassed by his emotions taking control. He glanced to his right and was surprised to find the spot vacant and shocked that Ginny's extraction had gone unnoticed._

 _"I have never-"_

 _"Molly, that's enough." Arthur ordered as his wife began to retort. Arthur knew that a dinner was still too soon and that Molly was still grieved by the loss of Fred. Her emotions waivered from the deep to the extreme. He regretted her words to Harry and knew he should have stepped in earlier to put a stop before the exchange went too far. But the line was crossed minutes ago._

 _"But Arthur the boy-"_

 _Arthur rolled his closed eyes. "I know, but Molly he is not our son. Nor does he have to accept this position. Harry is considered a legal adult in the eyes of the magical community so we will have to respect his decision." Arthur announced, "Merlin knows he has earned it. So please. Let. It. Be." Molly's mouth opened but the retort died on her tongue. The room fell into an eerie silence with the close of the conversation. Harry was intent with the contents on his plate, and could feel the few curious stares but he was focusing on not showing emotion. Restraining his reactions building up the blocks of a wall. It was baby Teddy that brokered the silence with a wail of discomfort, and it pulled Harry from his mental construction sight. He glanced to the baby and then to Andromeda. The pair were still acquaintances so they did not know each other social quicks and nuances._

 _Before either could speak, "I think it's time for use to go, my love." Fleur said her hand trailed down her husband's forearm and linked her fingers with his own. "It is rather late." The table shook to life. Molly sprang into action with a clap of her hands, and the dishes danced to life and floated to the counter to the right of the sink's basin. Ginny was standing vigil at the sink, meticulously scrubbing the bits and grits from aged porcelain plates._

 _"But you must stay for dessert. I made your favorite." Molly called to the table but to no one directly. Apple crisp was a crowd please, especially with homemade vanilla ice cream. Fleur did not make a noise and Bill responded, "Sorry, mum, but we need to get back to the cottage. I've got an early start at Gringotts tomorrow." He smiled at his mother. The newlyweds had created a verbal short hand to help each other navigate their often deplorable families. If one ended a comment with the word Love, then the other would agree with the previous sentence. If one ended a sentence with darling, then the other would disagree with the preceding statement. The pair didn't always get it right, but it helped manage each other's mothers on all occasions. Fleur was the first to stand which set off a series of movement. Bill followed her movements of good byes to the family and stepping out to the back porch. Charlie was quick on their heels to have few a words before the couple returned home. George had grabbed a plate of crisp before apparrating to his room above the Weasley shop._

 _"Can I entice you with a serving, Minister?" Molly asked Kingsley who was making his way to the sitting room with Arthur, Percy and Audrey. The group was relocating to a quiet atmosphere to further discuss the next steps for the ministry. Percy was reinstated as top assistant to the office of the minister of magic. His previous experience under Fudge helped the current interim minister navigate the wizarding policies and foreign politics. "Would you like a serving as well, Audrey?" Molly called to the other non-family guest. Four plates of dessert went floating to the sitting room and landed on the coffee table with a clatter. "So sorry!" Molly Weasley sang but continued to scoop plates of apple crisp and ice cream._

 _Harry glanced across the table hoping to catch Hermione's eye. He wanted to discuss the happenings of tonight and the Wizengamot Post. He knew she would have insight to the Wizengamot and what the post would entail, but it looked as if Hermione's attention was currently occupied. Or her ear was in a deep conversation with Ron's mouth. Her face flushed from his whispers and Harry turned away from the unsettling sight. His attention was pulled back to Molly._

 _"Harry, will you be staying for dessert?" She asked and he almost did a double take from the cheerful tone of her voice. Harry looked to Andromeda to see how she felt about the idea of dessert. Teddy decided to make his opinion heard by letting out a cry and flail his arm. His tiny fist was wrapped around Andromeda's hair, which was given a yank._

 _"Not tonight." He said and saw the grateful look spread across Andromeda's face. "I think it would be best to get this little guy back to Grimmauld Place." Harry extended his arms, offering to take the angry child. The grandmother was happy to pass the flailing baby._

 _"Harry, why don't you go get Teddy situated and gather out cloaks." Andromeda directed and the Boy-Who-Lived snapped to action. He looked to the sink but Ginny was still scrubbing the plates with a vengeance. Her back was to harry and her face was hidden by the famed Weasley hair. He needed to see her face if he wanted to get a read on her temper but the curtain of silky red prevented him, so he left the kitchen to the mudroom that housed the travelling cloaks and Teddy's baby carrier. It was a contraption that allowed Harry to have his hands free and keep Teddy securely fastened to his chest. The carrier was gifted to Harry from Hermione after he expressed his concern for Teddy and magical transportation. So, then he was left with a fancy baby contraption, with a multitude of straps, buckles and a funny name. Bjorn. What kind of name was Bjorn? Hermione assured him that the brand was top of the line, had high safety ratings and Harry could rest easy. But Hermione didn't have to deal with the squalling infant that had a knack of kicking his leg, or arm about to get his skin pinched in the buckle, or a strap was tightened in error and the circulation was cut off to Teddy's leg. That night, Teddy slipped into the contraption easily and Harry was able to breathe as he buckled the last clasp. The last thing he needed was to deal with the fussy baby. He smiled down at the child whose mouth was opened in a wide yawn. Harry marveled at the boy and ran his finger down his cheek._

 _"Hiya, buddy." Harry smiled when Teddy responded with a coo. The boy bobbed his head forward catching his crown on Harry's chin. Harry arranged Teddy so he was nestled and then wrapped his cloak about the pair. "I hope you didn't listen to a thing that was said tonight. I promise to be more than a present and Christmas card." Teddy let out a sound making Harry chuckle. "We orphans have to stick togeth-"_

 _"Wotcher, Harry." Charlie said sending a hand to steady Harry's shoulder who was regaining his footing from being knocked off balance by the back door Charlie was entering in from a brief conversation with Bill and Fleur to hear their thoughts about the actions of Harry and their mum. Fleur had scoffed at the boys expressing their worry for their mother and her emotional state. She had championed Harry's side of the situation and was adamant that Harry would not have caused any damage. 'It was Mamant Weasley causing a scene a zee dinner table.' The Weasley boys exchanged a silent look which caused Fleur to swat her husband's arm. But the conversation was forced to the end when the torrential rain started up as the clouds began to burst with saturation. So, Charlie rushed back into the house and pushed into the door which collided with the Boy-Who-Lived back._

 _"Gotta be careful, they say talking to yourself is a sign of the insane." Charlie stopped his comical comment immediately when he watched the blood drain from Harry's face. He wanted to take a moment to flog himself for his poor timing. "Shit, Harry-"He rubbed a hand over his face, trying to physically scrub the asinine comment._

 _"It's alright." Harry said more to the baby strapped to his chest then in response to the second Weasley son. Charlie wanted to kick himself for being so inconsiderate._

 _"No, it's not Harry-"He tried to apologize._

 _"Really it's alright. I know what the papers have printed, and what people read. I know you didn't mean-"Harry interrupted. Harry was wishing that the apparition barrier was disabled, and he was able to pop away. But the Weasley had left the barrier in place for safety and their own protection from any vengeful Dark Lord supporter. Anyone who wished to visit the Burrow had to hike a distance of a hundred yards to get to the Burrow and vice versa to leave the grounds, or they had to be a direct descendent of Molly or Arthur to be able to apparate directly to and from the Burrow._

 _"Merlin, harry, just let me apologize," Charlie demanded and waited a moment to see if there was any objection. "I did not mean to say that, and it's not alright. Especially after what happened tonight." He was implying to the verbal attack from his mother. Harry shifted from one foot to the other, wishing for a hole to swallow him whole. Charlie watched how the young wizard's composure folded in on himself. It was such a pitiful sight to see. From all the stories he heard about Harry Potter from his family, he would have never thought to see such a broken boy standing in his parent's mudroom. He truly felt for the boy. "My mother. Look, I know she can come off in the worse ways. I have been on the receiving end of her wrath so, when I say I get it, I truly do." Charlie explained._

 _Charlie had stories that could fill up a section of the great library in Alexandria with the disappointed lectures he received from his mother, about his choices ranging from friends, career path, and the way he wore his hair. Molly Weasley was force to be reckon with, but he knew it came from deep in her heart. "But, you have to know she does love you."_

 _It took a moment but Harry nodded._

 _"I know she has a funny way of showing the love, but just understand that no one in this family holds you responsible for Fred." Charlie continued stopping for a moment to gather a reaction from the boy. He didn't want to overstep a boundary that could send him over a ledge. Harry shuffled once more, but to keep Teddy from fussing. "No one thinks you are crazy, I know mum started to insinuate, and I read a few of the articles in the post. But I don't believe a word and that I think it was rubbish to exploit-"_

 _"Thank you Charlie." Harry said locking eyes with the second Weasley born so he could put an end to his sentence. He did not need to think back to that time, and before he could continue with the conversation Andromeda Tonks appeared at Harry's side._

 _"Are we ready to go?" The Widow Tonks entered into the conversation not noticing the tense exchange, "Oh Charlie, dear, it was so wonderful to see you." Andromeda leant forward as the Weasley son moved to kiss her cheek. Charlie Weasley was one of the few Weasley's that Andromeda could tolerate. Charlie had been close to Nymphadora and Ted during his school years. In fact, it was because of Ted that Charlie fell in love with dragons. Ted had taken both Charlie and Dora to a dragon hatchery that was located at a Loch in Scotland. The pair were about fourteen, and had the opportunity to watch a pair of Sardinian Snow tails hatch and breathe their first flame. Charlie then got to hold and bottle feed the orphaned hatchlings and it was love. Andromeda appreciated his quiet demeanor and calm personality but she feared any possible romantic feelings between her daughter and the boy. She could only imagine a lifetime of holidays with the Weasley bunch, and the thought had made Andromeda physically sick. The friendship between the families was cultivated between Ted, Nymphadora and the Weasley's. Andromeda found Molly overbearing, at time demanding and shallow minded. Ted described the Weasley Marm in the best of ways. That Molly Weasley had a way of loving the life out of any situation and any person. Andromeda breathed a sigh of relief the day Nymphadora assured her feelings for Charlie were strictly platonic, and softened the blow of her romantic entanglement with a werewolf by stating that the love of her life could be worse. It could have been a Weasley._

 _"It was great to see you to, Mrs. Tonks." Charlie said squeezing her hand and taking her travelling cloak from Harry. He held up the garment and received a chuckle from its owner._

 _"Still a charmer, I see." Andromeda smiled and thanked the young man as she did up her buttons and sash._

 _"I work with dragons, so being a charmer is in my job description." Charlie said and winked to Harry who still had a faraway look on his face. "Are you sure you guys won't stay for a bit longer. The rain was coming down in buckets just a few moments ago."_

 _Andromeda smiled and glanced to Harry to see what he wished to do, but he was still stuck in a trance. She figured it was still the aftershock of the verbal harpooning he received at the dinner table. "We will manage, and Teddy really needs to get to bed."_

 _"Well, have a good walk, and remember, when you reach the lamp post, you will be in the clear to apparate." Charlie said while stepping aside to let the little party exit the house and into the rain. He tried to catch Harry's eye once more but he had no luck, and he closed the door behind the pair._

 _"Bollocks." Charlie whispered to himself._

 _End of Flashback_

"Mister Potter."

Harry startled from his memories the moment he heard Lazlow's voice call his name. He sheepishly glanced to the chauffeur shaking his head. The driver smiled, not bothered by the dream like trance of his passenger. He drove Draco Malfoy on a daily basis, so he had seen far worse than Harry Potter zoning out during the afternoon drive. He was parked along the curb, in between the town houses of number elven and thirteen of Grimmauld Place. He had been idling for five minutes waiting for his passenger to exit the vehicle. He typically parked the car in the garage located behind the town house, but he wasn't done with his driving duties for the day.

"Sorry about that." Harry self-consciously smiled. He faked a yawn and reached for his messenger bag. It was leather and monogrammed with his initials. It had been a present from Teddy, and he treasured the bag as it once belonged to Sirius. "Are you collecting Ted from school?"

"Yes. Madame Malfoy instructed me to collect young master Ted from school. Take him to his football practice then to dinner at his choosing." Lazlow responded to his question. Harry nodded at the instructions of Narcissa Malfoy the ever put together matriarch.

"You need to know, he is going through a Vegan kick. So just force him between two choices. And absolutely no Thai. He had an allergic reaction to something and booted all over the carpet in his bedroom." Harry explained the inner workings of the ten year old to the driver. The chauffeur was as much family member to the young boy as Narcissa, Draco and Astoria. Harry waited for the driver to nod before he removed himself from the car. Before he shut the door.

"If he pushes you go to the cinema, it's up to you but only if he doesn't have any school work." Harry sounded like a busy helicopter mom. Hovering and worried about his child in the car of another individual. He was always this way before leaving Teddy for the night.

"Sounds good, Mister Harry." Lazlow chuckled seeing that he had already decided on taking the young master Teddy to the movies and getting McDonalds. He knew that Teddy was pushing his God-Father's patience with the vegan kick, and that he saw it in a television show and found it to be a hilarious prank. The boy had confided to the driver one day during the afternoon drive from his football practice to Grimmauld Place. Lazlow was sworn to secrecy on the safety of his favorite car. "Will you be coming back to Grimmauld Place or returning to the country house after the gala?" Lazlow asked. He was instructed to return to the town house after the movie. The gala would run late into the evening, but there was a chance that Harry would leave early.

"I was planning on coming back to Grimmauld Place." Harry answered.

"Very good, Sir." Lazlow said and put the car into shift and Harry shut the car. He stepped away and dashed up the front stoop of the number twelve townhouse. He rang the front bell and waited for it to be answered by a grumbling house elf.

"Master Harry. Mistress says you are late." Kreacher accused the man on the stoop as a greeting. Harry cracked a smile at the small being, who was still disgruntled at the sight of him.

"Still alive, I see." He sniffed dismissively towards the house-elf who stepped aside for his entrance into the house. Harry heard the familiar snap and felt the door whip past his ears as it slammed shut. Harry arched an eyebrow at the elf's antics but kept his mouth shut. Harry followed Kreacher down the hallway, trailing behind but close enough to hear his grumbling beneath his breath about the youth's disregard for time and rudeness for his mistress.

"Madame Malfoy instructed me to leave you in her solar to wait." Kreacher said and pointed to the formal living room. Harry wanted to remind Kreacher that not that long ago he was the master of Grimmauld Place and that technically he still was Lord Black, so the house-elf owed his loyalty to him. But he would be stupid to ever say something like that to the house-elf, and Kreacher had a nasty way of extracting his revenge.

"You mean the living room?" Harry said stepping into the room. Harry had gutted and renovated the entire house when he formally moved into the place with Teddy and Andromeda shortly after the war. The majority was reworking the floor plans for each level of the house but the first floor was changed the most dramatically with the rooms more family friendly and open floor plans. There was a natural flow to the rooms, and the atmosphere was lightened by the floor boards to the paint on the walls and the moldings on the ceilings. The furniture was Narcissa's choosing with the help of Astoria Greengrass acting as her interior designer. Out went the beige sophistication that Harry picked from the big box stores, that had a medium price tag but durable to the stains of children, ad in came the expensive pieces in the shades of celery, vibrant salmon and dusky daffodil. Coffee tables were not made of wood but an entire geode mined in the depths of South Africa and there was drapery. Yards of fabric to cover each window. Harry hardly recognized the room the first time visiting Grimmauld Place after moving out and giving control of the ancestral family home of the Blacks to Narcissa Malfoy. But now, he was used to the opulence of the room and felt a little underwhelmed. He was left to his devices as the house elf retreated into the bellows of the house grumbling about the insolence of Young Lord Black and the insidious Master Malfoy and their mistreatment of his beloved mistress. Harry tossed his jacket to the tufted ottoman and sank into the arm chair the color of persimmons. He figured he had a good half hour to check over his charts before he would be instructed to get ready for the evening's event. He pulled his muggle tablet and began going through his patients charts and soon he was completely lost in his work.

It was only twenty minutes later when Narcissa descended the staircase. She as dressed in her evening gown of a shimmering silver with hints of blue. Her neck was adorned with diamonds and sapphires, and giant sapphire was glimmered on her left ring finger in place of her wedding band. She stopped wearing the wedding band and engagement ring shortly after Lucius passed and had it secured away in the lock box at Gringotts. She kept it there for Draco to use when he finally got his wits together about Astoria.

"Oh, Harry dear, I didn't know you were here." Narcissa sounded surprised when she found the young man lounging in his favorite chair. He was deep into his research, which she could tell by the determined look on his face, a quizzical quirk to his brow and his feet up on the ottoman. Her soft dulcet voice sang through the room as she moved further into the depths.

"I suspect Kreacher didn't tell you of my arrival." Harry said still swiping curiously on his tablet. He scribbled something on the side of the margin with his pencil tool. He was purposefully not acknowledging Narcissa, just to ruffle her feathers and retaliate at her earlier antics. If there was any way to spite Narcissa Malfoy it was by not paying close attention to the woman. It drove her mental.

"Did you say something to him that would cause such a retaliation?" She asked not playing into his ploy. She suspected he would be miffed at her for sending Lazlow to collect him at the hospital. She watched as he rolled his eyes and a smirk grew across her face. Narcissa Malfoy was going to win this battle of wills. It was a game she liked to play, where the opponents would verbally spar and remain steadfast and the first to break was the loser. Draco was bullocks at the game, Astoria could hold her own when she was pushed to it, and Harry was a worthy opponent. The only player that could bend Narcissa to a breaking point was Teddy Lupin, but he was a child and had Narcissa wrapped about his fingers.

"Harry, get your feet of the furniture." She demanded and the smirk spread into a full smile when Harry looked up from his tablet and sent her a glare. He relented by lowering his feet to the floor, but by the time he put his tablet to the side a smile was spread across his face. He stood up from his chair and moved to give her a kiss hello on the cheek. Narcissa returned the gesture with a hug and a pat to his cheek.

"So the event tonight?" Harry asked and watched to see what type of reaction she would have if he tried to bow out. He was met with an eyebrow arch. "I should get showering." Which earned him another pat to the cheek, a little forceful then the last loving pat.

"And shave." Narcissa directed. The stubble look he had been sporting the past few months made him look like a teen trying to grow facial hair for the first time. If there was one thing Harry Potter could not do, it was grow facial hair. She tried to remain open-minded for months, but it was time to face the music. "Please."

Harry groaned. "I was going to give it another week." Narcissa arched her eyebrow again and Harry relented, "Fine, yes, you are right. As always." He kissed her cheek once more. "I will go but not willingly."

"Just go, truly you are worse than Draco sometimes." Narcissa teased. "Besides, how did Kreacher describe it, Master Potter is wreaking his muggle stench all over the furniture and making the orchids wilt." She sent a silent charm to make the flowers situated on the grand piano droop. After another roll of his bright green irises, Harry took his leave of the living room and trotted up to the third floor of the house, where his and Teddy's rooms were situated. Harry took over Sirius's old room and Teddy was in Regulus's. The rooms had been cleaned and spruced up with the first renovation that Harry did to the house, but not much was changed when Narcissa took over Grimmauld Place full time. She wanted Harry to have a place that was strictly his, and wanted him to feel at home. Once she heard the slam of the bedroom door, she went about cleaning up after the man. She grabbed his tablet and leather messenger bag that he tended to haphazardly leave about the house. He was such a child at time. It made her smile to think of this young man, a boy almost, was like her own son.

But almost better. Only because harry craved that maternal linkage and Draco took her for granted, but she would never tell either young men her thoughts. It was fun to see the pair compete with one another. The pair was like yin and yang in looks, personalities and careers. The only way they were similar were their fierce loyalties to their loved ones and their dry senses of humor. Narcissa slide the tablet into his bag, and put the bag on a hook in the front closet. She then returned to the living room, sat down at the grand piano and began to play.

It was a forty-five minutes later when she heard the front door open and then slam shut, and she knew her son, Draco Malfoy was here.

And in a terrible mood.

****************88888*************

Well, that seems like a good spot to stop. I wanted to get this out as quick as possible but it takes a few attempts to get the flow right. I reworked the conversations, and past and present scenes over and over, that I had to complete it so I can move on.

I don't know if I mentioned in the first chapter, but this story will be similar to my other, where there was some rift between the Weasley and Harry Potter, and now Harry is good friends with the Malfoy. I feel the Malfoys were misunderstood in the J.K. Rowling stories. Discolored by the sins of the father. Haha, anyway this story is going to jump back and forth chronologically from the past to reach the present. I haven't given everything away, because a lot happened between the end of the war and to the present. Plus, the story is going to have a present time line growing with romantic dramas, Draco hysterics and bits of Weasley bashing. I don't hate all the Weasley, just Molly, Ron and Ginny.

Well cheers.

Ema


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